Notable Info
- End-of-the-year ranking update.
2014 Awards: Most Improved Fighter
Most Improved Fighter of the Year: Tom Gallicchio
Tom Gallicchio went 1-3 in 2011, took off 2012 entirely, and had something of a tune-up bout in 2013 — which left him toward the bottom of the Welterweight division. Whether it was improvement, or finding his optimal weight class, he has since moved to Lightweight and reeled off two wins over Kurt Southern in 2014. This boosted Gallicchio well into the Top 100.
Honorable Mention: Bubba Jenkins
Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Friday, October 3rd 2025: PFL Champions Series 2: Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 | |||
 [#4 LHW] Corey Anderson |  [#10 LHW] Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov | ||
|
| |||
| Last Fight Date: 7/19/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#13 HW] Denis Goltsov Last 5: NC L W W W | Last Fight Date: 11/29/2024 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#21 MW] Impa Kasanganay Last 5: W W W W W | ||
| Friday, October 3rd 2025: PFL Champions Series 2: Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 | |||
 [#9 LW] Usman Nurmagomedov (-164) |  [#14 LW] Paul Hughes (+128) | ||
|
| |||
| Last Fight Date: 1/25/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#14 LW] Paul Hughes Last 5: W W NC W W | Last Fight Date: 5/10/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#51 LW] Bruno Miranda Last 5: W W W L W | ||
| Saturday, November 8th 2025: Dynamite MMA 4 - Nov. 8 | |||
 [#4 W105] Andressa Romero |  [#20 W105] Claire Lopez | ||
|
| |||
| Last Fight Date: 9/20/2024 [Invicta FC] Last Opponent: [#2 W105] Elisandra Ferreira de Oliveira Last 5: W L L W L | Last Fight Date: 4/04/2025 [Invicta FC] Last Opponent: [#12 W105] Taynara Silva Last 5: W W L L L | ||
Featured Fighters
| [#3 FW] | Diego Lopes | [#1 LW] | Islam Makhachev | |
| [#2 LW] |  Ilia Topuria | [#19 FW] | Jean Silva | |
| [NR] | Matt Brown | [#4 LW] | Charles Oliveira | |
| [NR] |  Conor McGregor | [#1 MW] |  Khamzat Chimaev | |
| [NR] | Chris Lytle | [#90 WW] |  Daniil Donchenko |
2014 Awards: Upsets of the Year
Note: We have two ways that we derive biggest “upsets” based on points difference between winner and loser.
“Most Noteworthy” (X minus Y)
“Most Lopsided” (X divided by Y)
Most Noteworthy: Andrei Arlovski KO(1) Antonio Silva
Arlovski turned back the clock in an unbelievably unexpected win against Silva. I’m not sure Arlovski himself saw this one coming.
Honorable Mentions: Anthony Johnson UD(3) Phil Davis, Ben Rothwell TKO(1) Alistair Overeem
Most Lopsided: T.J Dillashaw TKO(5) Renan Barao
When you’re roughly a 9.5-to-1 favorite as Barao was, you’re just expected to go out there and take care of business. Well, that didn’t happen and hopefully the sequel is on tap for early-mid 2015 as Cruz has again proven to be weak in the knees.
Honorable Mentions: Andrei Arlovski KO(1) Antonio Silva, Ben Rothwell TKO(1) Alistair Overeem
Fight Matrix Program: UFC 182 (01-03-2015)
Light Heavyweight Championship (205)
[#1/#4DD/#1P4P] Jon Jones (20-1-0, -164) vs. [#2/#10P4P] Daniel Cormier (15-0-0, +136)
Jon Jones is the All-Time #1 ranked Light Heavyweight and #6 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Jon Jones (3-0-0)
2014-04-26: W vs. [#8LHW] Glover Teixeira (22-4-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
2013-09-21: W vs. [#6LHW] Alexander Gustafsson (16-2-0) via UD (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
2013-04-27: W vs. [*] Chael Sonnen (28-14-1) via TKO (Elbows and Punches) in 4:33 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Daniel Cormier (3-0-0)
2014-05-24: W vs. [#7LHW] Dan Henderson (30-12-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:53 of round 3
2014-02-22: W vs. [#49LHW] Patrick Cummins (7-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:19 of round 1
2013-10-19: W vs. [#13HW+] Roy Nelson (20-10-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jon Jones 252, Daniel Cormier 224
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Lightweight (155)
[#3] Donald Cerrone (25-6-0, -200) vs. [#8] Myles Jury (15-0-0, +164)
Donald Cerrone is the All-Time #20 ranked Lightweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Donald Cerrone (3-0-0)
2014-09-27: W vs. [#9LW] Eddie Alvarez (25-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-07-16: W vs. [#29LW] Jim Miller (24-5-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:31 of round 2
2014-04-19: W vs. [#10LW] Edson Barboza (15-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:15 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Myles Jury (3-0-0)
2014-09-20: W vs. [#42LW] Takanori Gomi (35-10-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:32 of round 1
2014-03-15: W vs. [#22LW] Diego Sanchez (25-7-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-09-21: W vs. [#61LW] Mike Ricci (10-4-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Donald Cerrone 98, Myles Jury 105
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Middleweight (185)
[#22] Nate Marquardt (33-13-2, -136) vs. [#28] Brad Tavares (12-3-0, +111)
Nate Marquardt is the All-Time #3 ranked Middleweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Nate Marquardt (1-2-0)
2014-06-28: W vs. [#87MW] James Te Huna (16-8-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:34 of round 1
2013-10-19: L vs. [#5WW] Hector Lombard (34-4-1) via KO (Punches) in 1:48 of round 1
2013-03-16: L vs. [#19WW] Jake Ellenberger (29-9-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:00 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Brad Tavares (1-2-0)
2014-08-16: L vs. [#14MW] Tim Boetsch (18-7-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:18 of round 2
2014-04-19: L vs. [#7MW] Yoel Romero (9-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-01-15: W vs. [#39MW] Lorenz Larkin (14-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Nate Marquardt 189, Brad Tavares 140
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Keep Reading
2014 Awards: Most Noteworthy Match of the Year
Most Noteworthy Match of the Year: Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida
Weidman is on the winning side of the equation for two years straight. There’s not much to say here. This award is about combined relevance and this was a UFC Title Match featuring the undefeated champion and one of the best fighters in history.
Honorable Mentions: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo vs. Ricardo Lamas
2014 Awards: Comeback Fighter of the Year
As a refresher, our “Comeback” award is about coming back from inactivity or major injury (that we know about) and in doing so, really impressing. You can see more details at the bottom of the post about specific qualifiers.
Comeback Fighter of the Year: Tito Ortiz
The award was wrapped and already assigned to Dominick Cruz, but it just doesn’t feel right giving him the award, as he once again tore his ACL. This is something of a disqualification as he is on the shelf again.
So, with a dominant win over the undersized, though huge favorite Alexander Shlemenko and a decision win over Stephan Bonnar, Tito Ortiz wins the award on a technicality.
Honorable Mention: Thiago Alves
To qualify, fighters must be in an active status at the end of the award year and did not have a fight in the previous calendar year or are coming off of a known major injury that caused an inactive period of 15+ months.
Fight Matrix Program: DEEP (12-31-2014)
Lightweight (155)
[#82] Satoru Kitaoka (34-13-9) vs. [#89] Yoshiyuki Yoshida (17-6-0)
Last 3 Fights: Satoru Kitaoka (2-1-0)
2014-10-05: W vs. [#381LW] Richie Whitson (12-6-0) via UD ()
2014-04-29: W vs. [#228LW] Naoto Miyazaki (11-3-3) via UD ()
2013-12-31: L vs. [#74LW] Ramazan Esenbaev (7-1-1) via KO (Punches) in 0:19 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Yoshiyuki Yoshida (3-0-0)
2014-03-22: W vs. [#173LW] Shigetoshi Iwase (14-16-4) via UD ()
2013-11-24: W vs. [#810LW] Won Sik Park (10-5-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:46 of round 2
2012-10-13: W vs. [#305LW] Niko Puhakka (28-17-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:00 of round 3
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Satoru Kitaoka 87, Yoshiyuki Yoshida 284
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Yoshiyuki Yoshida leads 1-0
.
Bantamweight (135)
[#67] Takafumi Otsuka (18-12-1) vs. [#105] Shintaro Ishiwatari (18-6-4)
Last 3 Fights: Takafumi Otsuka (3-0-0)
2014-10-26: W vs. [#310BW] Toshinori Tsunemura (7-4-4) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 4:46 of round 3
2014-04-29: W vs. [#95BW] Kenji Osawa (20-11-2) via UD ()
2013-11-24: W vs. [#112BW] Toshiaki Kitada (17-7-4) via UD ()
Last 3 Fights: Shintaro Ishiwatari (2-1-0)
2014-11-02: L vs. [#56BW] Jonathan Brookins (15-7-0) via UD ()
2014-05-11: W vs. [#472BW] Trevor Ward (4-1-0) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 1
2014-02-02: W vs. [#136BW] Yo Saito (15-10-3) via UD ()
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Takafumi Otsuka 66, Shintaro Ishiwatari 59
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
.
Featherweight (145)
[#38] Isao Kobayashi (16-1-4) vs. [#85] Kazunori Yokota (21-5-3)
Last 3 Fights: Isao Kobayashi (3-0-0)
2014-10-04: W vs. [#351FW] Takeshi Inoue (21-10-0) via UD ()
2014-03-30: W vs. [#133LW] Kuniyoshi Hironaka (23-9-0) via TKO (Punch and Soccer Kick) in 3:58 of round 3
2013-09-29: W vs. [#498LW] Yoshiaki Takahashi (10-5-2) via MD (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
Last 3 Fights: Kazunori Yokota (3-0-0)
2014-08-23: W vs. [#413FW] Yusuke Kagiyama (16-10-2) via Submission (Kimura) in 2:38 of round 1
2014-04-29: W vs. [#345FW] Katsunori Tsuda (8-3-1) via UD ()
2013-11-24: W vs. [#1602FW] Doo Ri Song (1-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:00 of round 2
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Isao Kobayashi 88, Kazunori Yokota 130
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Keep Reading
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 6 (Final)
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 1 | #25 – #15
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 2 | #14 – #10
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 3 | #9 – #5
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 4 | #4 – #3
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 5 | #2
If you missed the first parts, you can visit w/ the links above.
#1…
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 5
#25 – #15: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 1
#14 – #10: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 2
#9 – #5: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 3
#4 – #3: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 4
If you missed the first parts, you can visit w/ the links above.
#2…
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 4
#25 – #15: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 1
#14 – #10: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 2
#9 – #5: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 3
If you missed the first parts, you can visit w/ the links above.
#4 – Chad Mendes (Rep Avg: #121.3 | Fight Matrix: #48)
Mendes is taking the Jon Fitch road, but at 145. Practically glued to the Top 5, tons of top-quality fights and wins while fighting for the UFC, but just can’t get over the hump to win the gold. Having him outside of the Top 100 is absolutely ridiculous.
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 3
#25 – #15: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 1
#14 – #10: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 2
If you missed the first parts, you can visit w/ the links above.
#9 – #5
#9 – Mamoru Yamaguchi (Rep Avg: #120 | Fight Matrix: #70)
Small man bias in full effect here — Yamaguchi is a part of the three-headed Japanese dragon that has ruled the All-Time MMA Rankings at Flyweight, here on Fight Matrix. For us, DJ is set to high jump over this tandem in the near future, but he apparently already had sometime ago for mostly everyone else. The “pick and choose” process is very strange when it comes to acknowledging MMA success in the early years.
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 2
#25 – #15: The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 1
If you missed the first part, you can visit it w/ the link above. It has all of the details about how this list came to be.
As I complete the list, I can’t help but think of how great this series could have been and how sad it is that reasonable lists like this are practically non-existent. If you come across any, please let me know.
#14 – #10
#14 – Miguel Torres (Rep Avg: #65 | Fight Matrix: #39)
Torres is still our Top Bantamweight of All-Time. With Barao recently losing and Cruz taking all the time off, Torres should hold this position for a little longer.
The Most Underrated MMA Fighters of All-Time: Part 1
For those of you who do not know, in addition to our Current MMA Rankings, we also feature an All-Time MMA Rankings that is updated every month (usually on the 2nd).
In an effort to mix it up heading into the new year, I’ve decided to compare our All-Time Absolute list to an average of a few other lists that I’ve found on the Internet, in order to bring attention to fighters who I believe are the most underrated in the history of MMA.
I feel an analysis of underrated fighters is more objective than an analysis of overrated fighters, as many fighters are given lofty positions in subjective lists due to an over-friendliness bestowed upon pioneer fighters, especially those who were under-sized. As you probably know, our lists are based on actual results and it goes without saying that being the #1 Welterweight in 2014 means much more than being the #1 Welterweight in 2004 (for example).
Not surprisingly, it was tough to find (seemingly) reputable lists:
Crowd-sourcing Representative: Tapology Top 100 (2014-12-18)
“Peak” Mathematical Representative: MMA-ELO Top 25 (2014-11-01)
“Cumulative” Mathematical Representative: Sports-Ratings Top 250 (2014-03-31)
I would have loved to have added an “Expert” representative, but I could not find one readily available.